


The Farmboy and the (Ex) Sith

by dathomirwitch



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Episode: s03e20 Twin Suns, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-29 00:06:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18215492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dathomirwitch/pseuds/dathomirwitch
Summary: Luke meets an interesting stranger in the Jundland Wastes.





	The Farmboy and the (Ex) Sith

The wind whipped at Luke’s face as he raced through the desert on his speeder. Fixer sat next to him, shouting curses at the top of his lungs while Camie and Windy laughed in the back seats.

“Slow down Skywalker!” Fixer screamed. “You’re gunna get us all killed!” 

Luke smirked. “Hah! Just wait ‘til you see this!”

Luke accelerated, steering the landspeeder towards the rocky cliffs. As they approached, the cliffs grew larger until it seemed as if the group was going to crash into the enormous wall of crumbled orange stone. At the last moment, Luke jerked the speeder sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding the rocks and instead zooming parallel to them. Camie and Windy began screaming too, but Luke continued onwards, pushing his speeder to the limit. Reaching the end of the rocks, Luke whipped around again, using the slight elevation from the turn to narrowly dodge a boulder. Steering the speeder up a hill, he eventually came to a stop at the edge of a cliff looking out onto the Jundland Wastes.

Fixer launched himself out of the speeder. “I think I’m gunna be sick,” he mumbled. Camie and Windy climbed out as well.

“To be fair,” Windy spoke up, “It’s not like this is the worst incident. Remember that time with Biggs and the Skyhopper?” 

Fixer stumbled into Camie’s arms, glaring at Luke over Camie’s shoulder. “Well good thing Biggs is at his fancy flight academy. Now we just have one terror of a pilot instead of two.”

Luke shrugged. “Well, you asked me to show you how fast I can go in the speeder and I did. It’s not my fault you can’t take it.” 

“Can we go home?” Camie asked. “It’ll be noon soon, it’s not good to be out.” The group looked at the sky. The twin suns were climbing higher, baking the planet with their scorching rays. Luke himself was feeling a bit cooked, and judging by the pink tones of his friends’ skin, they were getting burnt too. 

“Alright, hop in,” Luke said. “I’ll drop you guys off where we hid your speeders.” They went back into their seats, and Luke made sure to go slower than he did before. His friends didn’t say anything, but Luke could see the relief on Fixer’s face next to him. They arrived at their speeders right as the suns hit their highest point in the sky. The speeders were tucked into a crevice in the cliffs, and the shade brought relief to the four teens.

Fixer and Camie left immediately, yelling out a quick “See ya, Wormie!” before rushing home. Luke watched them disappear. He gazed at the place where Fixer and Camie were only seconds ago.There was something about the desert today that seemed to pull at him. His stomach felt like a knot, and it was tied to a string that was tugging him somewhere. Windy began moving his speeder out of the shade, but hesitated. He looked back at Luke.

“Luke, you going?”

There was a short pause. “...No, you go along Windy. I wanna check something out real quick.” 

Windy’s brows furrowed together. “Alright, but don’t do anything reckless.”

“I won’t.”

Windy nodded. He glanced at Luke one more time and then left, leaving Luke alone. 

Luke closed his eyes. He took a deep breath in, and then slowly released the air. That tension in his stomach was still bothering him. Some part of him was urging, begging him to go, but he couldn’t figure out what it meant or why he felt it. Luke groaned and gripped his head in his hands. He’ll fly around a bit more by himself to get rid of this weird anxiety, and then he’ll head home. This weirdness was probably just him missing Biggs. It’ll go away soon. 

Luke moved his speeder out of the shade, and then shot towards the open desert.

*****

He’d been wandering the desert for about fifteen minutes when he spotted it. On the horizon, a dot of black amongst the open, yellow sand that sprawled before him. The feeling in stomach was growing, the not quite nausea that was chilling him despite Tatooine's heat. Luke swallowed. His heart was racing, but he was drawn towards the dark speck in the distance.

His mind pleaded. Turn back, go home. He ignored it.

As Luke approached, the dark shape grew larger. From this distance, he could see that it was a person. They were leaning against a short walking stick, and their face was obscured by a dark hood. Who in their right mind would wear all black in the desert? He figured they must be an offworlder. Luke could see the figure turn to watch him approach. Luke stopped a few meters away from the person, but stayed in his speeder.

“Hey,” he called out, “are you lost?”

The figure lifted his head, and Luke’s eyes widened as he took in his appearance. His skin was a deep red, and his face was covered in sharp black tattoos. His yellow eyes, rimmed with red, pierced into Luke’s own.  
“No.” The man’s voice was deep, and had a breathy quality to it as if he was holding back. “I am merely...searching for an old friend.”

“Here?” Luke raised his eyebrow. “There’s nothing around here except Jawas and Sand People.”

“He will come out soon. I shall wait until then.”

Luke fought the urge to roll his eyes. Whoever this offworlder was, he clearly underestimated the dangers of the desert. And meeting a friend in the middle of the Jundland Wastes? Nobody would walk here willingly. Luke suspected that the man was not telling him the complete truth.

“Is your friend from Tatooine? If he isn’t maybe he got lost. I can help you find him.”

“I have a feeling he is quite familiar with this planet.” The stranger smiled as if he told a joke. Luke didn’t understand what he saw amusing. However, he was not about to leave this man, especially if he insisted on staying here and dying of exposure.

“Tell me your friend’s name, and what he looks like. Climb in, I’ll help you find him.”

The man stood still. His yellow eyes closed and he took a deep breathe in. As he exhaled, his eyes reopened and locked with Luke’s. 

“His name is Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Luke paused. The first name, he did not recognize, but he certainly knew the last name. Ben Kenobi was an old wizard living in the Jundland Wastes. He had met him a few times - oddly enough, the old man seemed to show up when Luke got into trouble - but he didn’t know him very well. The two could be related. But Luke hesitated. Was the man in front of him telling the truth? Was this Obi-Wan truly a friend, or was their relationship something more sinister?

The stranger saw through Luke’s indecision. “You know him.”

“I - no, I don’t know an Obi-Wan Kenobi…”

Suddenly, the stranger was right next to Luke, glaring down at him. Luke flinched at the sudden movement. The knot in his stomach plummeted, and the blood in his veins turned to ice. Something was very, very wrong

“Tell me what you know.” The man bent down and placed his hands on the speeder. Luke tried to leaned back to get some distance from him, but his intense gaze froze Luke in place.  
Luke swallowed. “There’s a hermit who lives near here, Ben Kenobi, but I don’t know if he’s the man you’re waiting for.”

The man nodded slowly. “Yes… That is him.” He stepped back, gripping his walking stick with both hands. He pulled it apart and in a flash it was no longer a stick but a glowing red blade. He held the blade in one hand, pointing it at Luke. “You will take me to Kenobi. Now.”

The man’s demand seemed to sneak its way into his mind, but he shook it off. The heat from the weapon radiated towards Luke. He swore under his breath. He didn’t want to take this stranger to Ben, but if he stayed here there was a chance the stranger would kill him. Luke’s eyes darted down at his speeder. Gripping the wheel, he shot forward, blasting past the man, who shouted in anger. Yes! There was no way anyone could keep up with a landspeeder by foot! He would just go far enough away to get out of sight, and then go to Ben Kenobi and warn him of the dangerous offworlder. 

Suddenly, the speeder stopped. 

“What the!?” Luke yelled. His speeder was functioning correctly, but it was no longer moving forward. Instead, it shook in place as if it was flying against a current that was pushing it back. He looked behind him and saw the hooded stranger walking towards him. His right hand was still holding the fiery blade, but the other was outstretched towards him. He was holding the speeder in place with his mind!

This can’t be happening. 

Luke grabbed his blaster rifle and jumped out of the speeder. He aimed it at the man. “If you come any closer I’ll shoot!” 

The man continued walking. Luke fired a warning shot. The man swiftly lifted his blade, blocking the blaster bolt and redirecting it into the sand, melting it. Luke shot again, aiming for the head, but again it was blocked. Suddenly, a freezing pressure squeezed Luke’s throat. As the man lifted his hand, Luke lifted off the ground. Luke scratched at his throat, but there was no physical hand to dislodge. He struggled breathe, and kicked the air with his legs.

The offworlder reached him. “You will do as I say,” he snarled.

Luke shook his head. The man roared, and tightened his fist. The pressure on Luke’s throat turned into a crushing force. Luke panicked.

No, no, no, no, no! He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe and he was going to die. The corners of his vision were darkening. His heart was bursting out of his chest. Something surged within him. Luke’s hands moved on their own and pushed outwards.

Luke fell and collapsed into a heap on the ground. He filled his aching lungs with air, massaging his bruised throat. He glanced up. The stranger was prone, lying on his back. Luke tried to stand, but the man was faster. Before Luke could react, the man lunged at Luke and pinned him down. His heavy knees dug into Luke’s stomach, and his hard, metal legs trapped Luke’s own. He grabbed each of Luke’s wrists and held them down. Luke struggled to break free, but his grip was firm. The man continued to stare at Luke as he thrashed beneath him, but did not move. Eventually, after yelling some foul language in both Basic and Huttese, Luke gave up.

“Who are you?” The stranger asked.

Luke turned his head away. He could see his rifle by the speeder. It was so close, if only he could get to it somehow, he could - 

The man gripped Luke’s face and forced him to look him in the eyes. “Your. Name.”

“Luke Skywalker,” he spit out.

The world stilled. The man’s vicious face froze, and slowly transformed into a cruel smile. He took his hands off Luke and sat up, though his legs still held Luke in place. He threw his head back and laughed. His black hood fell, revealing a crown of horns that decorated his head.

With his left arm free, Luke raised it and swung at the man. The stranger caught Luke’s fist and slammed it down. He leaned over Luke again, still smiling.

“Hello, Skywalker,” he said. “I am Maul.”

Maul lifted his other hand, and slowly extended his index finger. He tapped the center of Luke’s forehead, and Luke’s world vanished into darkness. 

*****

One thing that surprises most visitors to Tatooine are the freezing nights. While the days are wickedly hot, scorching the few signs of life on the planet, the cold nights can be just as deadly. 

Obi-Wan tended the fire, keeping an eye on an unconscious Ezra. Tonight was not as cold as it could have been, but the chill still seeped into his bones. However, he suspected that the true cause of the cold was not the weather, but rather the planet’s most recent guests.

He watched as Ezra sat up. The dark haired boy looked around slowly, rubbing his eyes. Chopper warbled a greeting. Obi-Wan figured that was his cue.

“You’re in the wrong place, Ezra Bridger,” he said.

“Master?” Ezra asked. His eyes widened. “Master Kenobi?” Ezra stood.

The two talked. Ezra was persistent, refusing to leave so that he could warn Obi-Wan about Maul. Obi-Wan chuckled in his head. He had sensed Maul’s presence the second he entered the planet’s atmosphere. He watched as Maul landed on the planet, and he even planned on sending Ezra to steal Maul’s ship. Still, he appreciated Ezra’s concern for his well being, despite the trouble it must have caused. 

When Ezra spoke of the message in the holocrons, Obi-Wan held back a sigh. He knew that the holocrons did not speak of him. The key to destroy the Sith was Luke, but Ezra could not know of him. Instead, he told Ezra gently that Maul manipulated him into coming here, and that the holocrons meant nothing. His heart twinged in guilt, but he shoved it down. After all, it was still a version of the truth.

“Now,” Obi-Wan explained, “the only one who has gained anything from all of this is-”

Obi-Wan’s comlink beeped. He pushed his sleeve back, staring at the com’s flashing light as it signaled a call. His heart stopped. There were only two people who had his comlink frequency, and only one reason for them to use it. Obi-Wan accepted the call.

“Luke’s missing.” Beru’s voice echoed from the com.

“How long?” Obi-Wan replied.

“Owen let him go out with his friends this morning and he hasn’t been back since.”

Obi-Wan rubbed his beard. It was true that Luke had bouts of rebelliousness, and had even run away before, but for him to do so now was… troubling. “I’ll look for him”

“There’s more.” Beru’s voice rose with panic. “Owen found his speeder in the Jundland Wastes. The ground looked like there had been a ship there.”

He sat down and placed his head in his hand. Obi-Wan was well aware that there was only one ship in the Wastes right now, besides Ezra’s wrecked one. Maul’s. 

“I’ll bring him back, Beru.” He ended the call.

Ezra stood on the other side of the fire, looking at Obi-Wan with pure confusion on his face. “Who’s Luke?” he asked.

Obi-Wan stood up. “It seems, young Bridger, that I will be needing your help after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short one-shot au of the Twin Suns episode. I've never written fiction before (much less fanfic), but this idea has been at the back of my mind since seeing the episode. I took most of Obi-Wan and Ezra's dialogue straight from the show. Maybe one day I'll continue or rewrite this into a multi-chapter fic, but I'll be leaving this as it is for now. If you wanna write a fic inspired by this one, feel free! Just let me know, cause I would love to read it!
> 
> Also, don't be afraid to post constructive criticism! I want to improve as a writer and am open to suggestions. Thanks for reading!


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